If You Remember The Original Weight Watchers…

Some of you may not be old enough to remember the very beginnings of Weight Watchers–in the days that the (now late) Jean Nidetch was running the show. The “diet” was based on the old NYC Board of Health diet which was more like an eating plan than a diet.

Back in those days, it was pretty restrictive even though there were a wide variety of foods to eat and plenty of it too. But there were  certain things you could not eat and potatoes was one of them. And what is traditional with shepherd’s pie? Well, potatoes.

Way back then my sister was on the program (what they called the Weight Watchers diet years ago) since she gained tons of weight during her first pregnancy. She always liked shepherd’s pie and was looking for a way to adapt it for her diet. She came up with a mashed cauliflower topping which a lot of us actually thought tasted better than the original potato topping. Of course hers was different to the one here as a low-carb diet includes many things that Weight Watchers didn’t allow.

Highly Adaptable

The veggies included in here are to my personal taste. You can easily substitute what you and your family like. That’s the beauty of these recipes!

About the only thing you have to keep to is the cauliflower in the topping. I’m a great lover of cauliflower which is why I always liked my sister’s rework of the original. And when you add cheese to it, it’s absolutely divine! In fact, try making the topping alone in a casserole. It’s a “legal” form of mac and cheese for those following a low-carb eating plan.

Great Even If You’re Not Low-Carb

I admit up front I don’t follow a lower carbohydrate eating plan. However, I have a good friend who does and many of her transformed recipes are insanely delicious. I just love good food and this recipe surely fills the bill there!

If you are looking for delicious recipes that fit a low-carb lifestyle, visit my friend’s blog–Maria’s Mixing Bowl. And be sure to check out her special egg salad. It’s amazing–I’ve been making egg salad for over 50 years now and this is the best I’ve ever tasted!

Watch The Video

The Recipe

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Low-Carb Shepherd's Pie

Fair warning: You may like this low-carb version of shepherd’s pie better than the original!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Main

Cuisine: Low Carb/American

Servings: 5

Calories: 415kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 24 oz (1.5 lb) lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup onion finely minced
• 1 cup broccoli florets fresh or defrosted frozen
• 16 oz frozen cauliflower florets
• 2 tbs Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream divided
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
• salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook frozen cauliflower per bag directions. Drain and mash the cauliflower then add 1/4 cup of the sour cream and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar. Mix well and taste to see if you need additional salt/pepper and add to your taste. Set aside.
• Brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet; drain fat and place in a large bowl. Add the remaining sour cream, shredded cheese and broccoli florets.
• Turn the meat mixture into a small (1-1 1/2 quart) casserole, spreading evenly over the bottom. Top with the cauliflower mixture, again spreading evenly to cover. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and cauliflower topping begins to brown.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 314mg | Potassium: 832mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 500IU | Vitamin C: 60.7mg | Calcium: 257mg | Iron: 3.8mg

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These quick pies are a great dessert for when you’re just not into fussing.

The Ultimate Lazy

Want a dessert with absolutely no work? Look no further than these lazy pies.

With just two ingredients, this is the easiest dessert/snack you’ll ever make.

Well-Stocked Freezer

I always make sure I have a freezer that is well stocked.

When things I use are on sale, I always stock up on those items. I also take advantage of seasonal sales.

Ready-made pie crusts are usually on sale around Thanksgiving time, so I stock up on those. The ones I’m referring to here are the ones that come in the box, such as Pillsbury; not the fluted pie shells (but they’re good to have on hand too).

They freeze well, so I make sure to buy at least six boxes–that’s 12 pie crusts in total.

This Should Be A Larder (Pantry) Staple

There are several items I insist on having in my larder at all times. One of them is pie filling.

I keep an assortment of flavors on hand, but it’s mostly apple and cherry. During annual “can-can” sales, I will pick up the more expensive flavors because they are on sale.

I was able to pick up some lemon flavored pie filling on one of those sales. Lemon is one of my favorite flavors, so that’s why I decided to make this free-form pie with that flavor.

However, it’s really good with the less-expensive apple or cherry too!

The “Free-Form” Pies

It’s really easy to assemble this free-form pie.

First, line a large baking sheet with parchment. Next, lay the pie circles on the sheet. Then merely spread half the can of filling on the bottom half of each circle and bring the top half over to cover the bottom half with the filling. The last step is sealing and crimping the ends together. You can get fancy or just do this with a fork.

The Recipe

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Lazy Pies

Want a dessert with absolutely no work? Look no further than these lazy pies. With just two ingredients, this is the easiest dessert/snack you’ll ever make

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pie recipe

Servings: 12

Calories: 179kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 2 pre-made pie crusts 1 box
• 21 oz can fruit pie filling
• water
• milk or cream

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Lay crust circles on prepared pan.
• Spread half of the fruit filling on the bottom half of one pie crust; repeat with other crust.
• Moisten the edges of each crust with a small amount of water. Bring top half of circle over the bottom half and seal. Flute if desired or use a fork to press and seal.
• Cut a slit in the top to release steam. Brush top with mil or cream.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes or until crusts begin to brown.
• Cool on the baking sheets. May be dusted with confectioners sugar if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

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